The Puppy - Chapter 1

A few months before my husband and I got hitched, out of the blue I had this yearning for a puppy.

The yearning was odd for a couple of reasons. First, to say I’m not a dog person is a bit of an understatement. I’ve never really liked dogs at all. The entire species pretty much annoyed me most of my life. Second, a puppy is an enormous commitment. It’s both a short-term commitment and a long-term commitment. Immediately there's all this training involved and it never moves out or gets a job... it's just always there (at least for the next 10-15 yrs.) expecting to be fed, expecting to be walked, needing to be bathed. And I’ve never been too good with follow through. Though I’ve owned cats in the past, I really wasn't that good at it. And puppies are bit more complicated I think. Third, puppies are expensive. There’s food and grooming and vet bills and obedience classes - all money that could go toward trips around the world. Fourth, what about trips around the world? You can't take the puppy with you. So, you have to board it, or find someone you trust to care for it. And fifth, puppies grow into dogs. Quite frankly, dogs are not as cute as puppies.

My girlfriend did a smart thing and bought us books about dogs as a wedding shower gift. I read the books - cover to cover. They reinforced all of my concerns and even gave me a few other things to consider. I can honestly say, after reading the books I had a better understanding of what I was considering. This truth didn't squelch my desire, but it made me realistic about timing. At a point where we were trying to learn how to be married, to get out in a new city, to meet people, to find a church, and to find employment for me that fit - a puppy would have tied us to our apartment and would have been counterproductive. It didn't make sense. So we waited.

But here we are. Almost a year later. We’ve found a church. I have a job. We’ve seen (nearly all of) the city. And even though I know there may be some negatives I’m still yearning for a puppy.

So, the hunt is on.